Asian Justice Rallies Held Nationwide In Remembrance Of 84-Year-Old Thai Man Who Was Killed One Year Ago
NORTH HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA) — Hundreds of people across the Southland joined together for an Asian justice rally to raise awareness for victims of anti-Asian violence, and address concerns surrounding the Asian communities on Sunday.
Since the beginning of 2020, the world has seen a drastic increase in attacks of people of Asian descent, including the attack-turned-fatality on an 84-year-old San Francisco man, who hailed from Thailand. Vicha Ratanapakdee was viciously attacked in a completely random incident, which led to his death on Feb. 1, 2021.
Now, one year later, people across the nation marched in Ratanapakdee's memory in hopes of raising awareness about an increasing issue that the Asian community faces.
CBS reporters were on hand at a rally that took place in North Hollywood on Sunday morning, where they spoke with attendees.
"I'm hoping that this communication that we're talking about today is going to help our community, and other communities around the world be able to have a better understanding of each other," said one man who brought his family along with him to address discrimination they've faced in their lifetimes.
Held at Wat Thai, the largest Buddhist temple in Los Angeles, hundreds of people gathered to support the cause and fight against the spike in crime.
"One-in-three Asian Americans have experienced hate in the last two years," said one person who spoke publicly at the event. A report released by the Los Angles County Commission on Human Relations in 2021 showed that violent crimes against people of Asian descent increased by 76% since 2020, when the pandemic began.
Local and Thai government officials joined the crowds to speak on the subject.
"Asian people have contributed significantly to American society and their economy for centuries," said one of the representatives from Thailand's government.
Other officials on hand brought attention to new emergency response options available to victims of hate crime: "For the first time, anyone who is a victim of hate, or knows someone who is a victim of hate, doesn't have to call law enforcement. Of course, that's a natural thing to do, but you can call 2-1-1. We have set that up in order to be able to address and help any victim of hate."
Los Angeles wasn't alone in the rally on Sunday, as similar rallies were also held in San Francisco, Atlanta, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.